


Life Breaks in Mysterious Ways

by marissa_ann



Category: The Hobbit (2012)
Genre: Bad plan, Family Feels, Gen, Hurt brother, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Soulmates, Spanking, hobbit-kink-meme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-18
Updated: 2013-02-18
Packaged: 2017-11-29 18:15:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/689987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marissa_ann/pseuds/marissa_ann
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for a prompt on the hobbit kink meme: Fili has known Dwalin is his soul mate for a while but Dwalin has never given any sign that he wants Fili. Fili thinks Dwalin sees him as a child and decides to prove himself during the quest by saving someone from "danger". He convinces Kili to let him save him from something that looks dangerous so Dwalin will see he's no child. But something goes wrong and Kili gets hurt. Thorin gets the truth out of a drugged!Kili and Dwalin says he will deal with Fili's actions, as his soul mate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Life Breaks in Mysterious Ways

Fili had known for years now that Dwalin was his soul mate and he kept waiting, as is customary for dwarves, for the older one to acknowledge him in that way. Dwalin, though, showed no sign that he wanted their relationship to change and Fili could think of only one reason. The warrior dwarf must still see him as the child he helped train and not someone ready to be seriously courted. The solution was obvious; he would prove to Dwalin that he was no child.

Normally it was Kili being accused of acting rashly and Fili was the one who thought of the consequences. He was desperate though, and could only think of the benefits of his plan. It would be so easy. He would get Kili to pretend to be in danger and Fili would save him. It was perfect. Dwalin wouldn’t be able to see him as a child after he saved a life. All he had to do was convince his brother to help him.

“Kili, help me get some wood,” he said as he grabbed his brother’s arm and dragged him into the woods.

“Ow,” Kili complained even though Fili knew he wasn’t hurting him.

“Hush you,” he grinned and ruffled his brother’s hair just to annoy him. “I need your help with something.”

“What do you need me to do?” Kili asked.

Fili outlined his basic plan and, after a little pleading and prodding, his brother agreed to help. Fili suspected part of Kili’s reason for helping was so that Fili would stop complaining about how Dwalin never noticed him but whatever the reason, he had help. Now all he had to do was think of a safe danger to put Kili in so he could save him.

 

It took a few days for the perfect opportunity to arise. He had thought of a few ideas in that time but he’d dismissed them all as too dangerous or uncontrollable and the point of his plan was not to put Kili in any real danger. He could have waited for real danger, they’d already seen their fair share of it, but there was no guarantee that they’d get attacked again and Fili couldn’t wait. He needed to prove himself now and have Dwalin finally claim him.

He’d considering asking a third person to aid him by pretending to attack Kili but that ran too many risks. That person might not be convincing, someone else in the company might hurt the fake attacker before he could get away, someone might question where the missing dwarf playing the attacker was during the attack. Too many questions. His uncle would be proud of just how much thought Fili was putting into his plan to find just the right scenario.

In the morning they would cross a river and Kili would pretend to lose his footing before allowing the current to carry him away so Fili could swim after him and save him. It wasn’t a strong current but it should be fast enough to carry Kili away before any of the company could grab him. Kili was a strong swimmer but no one other than Fili knew that their mother had spent many hours teaching them so it would look as though Kili was in danger when he was not. It wasn’t a great danger but Fili still hoped it would be enough of a rescue to capture Dwalin’s attention and force the older dwarf to see him as an adult. 

Fili even thought to place a dry set of clothes and Kili’s bedroll in his pack so his brother would have something warm and dry and he made sure Kili’s pack wouldn’t open or slide from his shoulders. The biggest worry was Kili’s weapons but Fili would carry his arrows and his bow and sword would be made secure. Fili planned on shoving his own pack and Kili’s arrows at the dwarf in front of him before going after his brother so those would be safe. He had thought about everything.

In the morning, as they set out to cross the river, Fili could hardly believe his luck. Mahal must have been watching over him because the dwarf in front of him and Kili was Dwalin. His soul mate would have the best view to watch him rescuing his brother. He prayed everything went right; they’d already had one close call when Thorin asked why Fili was carrying Kili’s arrows but Fili had thought quickly had mentioned he lost a bet.

The current was a little stronger than Fili expected and the water a little deeper than it had appeared on shore but they forged ahead. He noticed Bilbo was sandwiched between Thorin and Bofur, who both made sure the hobbit made it to shore before they turned to pull the other dwarves to shore. Once Fili reached the middle of the river, it was time.

He was already stripping his pack off his shoulders before he heard the splash as Kili went under the water and he shoved it and Kili’s arrows at Dwalin. Kili was much further away than he’d expected but worse, his brother wasn’t fighting the current and the fear in his voice was real. Fili could see someone running along the shoreline in an effort to catch up to them but Fili was sure he was closer.

“Kili!” he heard Thorin yell. “Fili!”

It was sheer luck the current slowed as the river widened and Fili was able to grasp his brother’s pack. The others were there immediately to help them out of the water, trying to separate them, but Fili refused to let go of his brother. He had to know what had gone wrong. If his brother was hurt, it was his fault.

“Kili,” Thorin had the same panic in his voice that he had every time one of them was hurt. “Kili, where does it hurt?”

If their uncle expected an answer, that meant Kili was awake. He knew his brother well enough to know Kili wasn’t pretending, that what had happened in the river had been real, and that Kili really had been in danger.

“Shoulder, neck,” came Kili’s answer, voice tight with pain.

Fili struggled out of his wet coat so he could move freely and inched closer to his brother. He watched as multiple hands stripped Kili of his coat and shirt and Fili could see a large bruise already forming on his brother’s shoulder blade. He must have struck a rock when he fell and then had been too dazed to fight the current. What would have happened if Fili hadn’t been expecting Kili to fall or had reacted a little slower? His brother could have been lost to them.

“Thorin, we need to get them both warmed,” Oin said a moment before Fili felt large hands lifting him to his feet.

“This way, Lad,” Dwalin’s voice rumbled near his ear, breath warm against his skin. “Thorin and Bofur have your brother. Thank Aulë you were able to reach him so quickly. It almost appeared as though you knew it would happen.”

Fili stumbled at the older dwarf’s words but Dwalin caught his arm to steady him. He should have been overjoyed by the touch and the attention but those words had him worried.

“Kili’s alive,” he said, voice as steady as he could manage with Dwalin’s hand still on his arm. “That is all that matters.”

Bofur got a fire started as Fili was ordered to change into dry clothes and Thorin helped Kili do the same. He noticed the others also took the opportunity to change their wet pants and all their coats were hung over tree branches to dry. They were losing traveling time but Fili suspected not a lot of them were too concerned. No one had been eager to walk the day in damp clothing and now they had the chance to dry before taking to the road again.

Oin was near the fire, brewing some sort of medicine for Kili’s pain, and Fili made his way over to where Thorin had helped Kili settle near the fire. He grasped his brother’s hand and squeezed, a silent apology, and felt a weak squeeze in return. He wanted to throw his arms around Kili and hug his little brother to his chest while apologizing for getting him hurt but he couldn’t, not without giving away their plan and getting into trouble. Their uncle had made it very clear before they left Bilbo’s home that he had no qualms about putting both his nephews over his knee if they caused trouble.

“Give this to the boy,” Oin handed Thorin a mug of steaming tea, ignoring Kili’s protests that he wasn’t a boy. Fili just chuckled and gave his brother’s hand another squeeze. “It will ease the pain and help him sleep.”

Fili didn’t have to see Kili’s face to know he was frowning. They had woken only a few hours ago and already he was being made to sleep, like a dwarfling put down for a nap. At least his brother knew better than to fuss and accepted the mug from their uncle.

“Kili, what happened?” their uncle asked.

“I slipped and hit my shoulder on the rocks,” Kili replied before he took a sip of the tea. The more the pain left Kili’s face, the more Fili was able to relax. His brother was fine. “I am sorry Uncle.”

“No need for apologies,” Thorin smiled at them both. “Finish your tea then rest.”

Soon Kili’s grip on the mug went slack and Fili gently wrapped an arm around his brother’s waist and tugged him to lie against his side. Their uncle moved away and was speaking with Dwalin on the other side of the fire but they both kept glancing over at him and Kili, and it was making Fili nervous. When Thorin, with Dwalin following, returned and crouched beside them, Fili just knew he was in trouble.

“Kili, Lad, are you awake?” Thorin asked.

“No,” Kili giggled, bringing a smile to Fili’s face. He remembered well all the times Kili had acted quite silly after taking medicine and it would amuse him until Kili fell asleep. “Are you awake Uncle?”

“Yes,” their uncle must remember Kili’s childhood game as he had a fond look on his face as he watched Kili. “Kili, can you tell me what happened today in the river? Why did you fall?”

Fili frowned and he looked between his uncle and Dwalin. They were already told what had happened, Kili had told Thorin not even an hour before, so why were they asking again. They both knew Kili spoke nonsense when he’d taken medicine. There was no way they could take what came out of his brother’s mouth as the truth.

“So Fili could save me,” came his brother’s answer and Fili bit down on a groan. He was in trouble. “I wasn’t supposed to get hurt. That was my fault. I’m sorry Fili. I’m sorry Uncle. I’m sorry Dwalin! You look orange!”

Chancing a look, Fili flicked his eyes up to Dwalin and saw that, by standing by the fire, the was an orange hue cast over Dwalin’s face. Kili was a giggling mess at his side, which meant there would be no getting any more information out of him tonight. He’d exhaust himself soon and fall asleep.

“Thorin, he is mine,” Dwalin said and Fili saw his uncle nod. “Give your brother to your uncle and come with me.”

Fili knew better than to argue so he allowed Thorin to shift Kili off him and got his brother settled in their uncle’s arms. He followed Dwalin a good way from their camp until he could no longer see the fire nor hear their voices, then they stopped.

“Here is good,” Dwalin pointed at a fallen log. “Sit.” Fili obeyed but Dwalin remained standing, facing him. “Do you know how many young hot-headed dwarves I’ve trained over the years?” he asked.

“Many?” Fili guessed. He thought Dwalin took him from camp to scold him, not have a normal conversation with him.

“Aye, many,” the older dwarf confirmed with a smile. “I have seen a lot of things in my years working with young warriors to be and that is how I know you are behind what your brother did today. I know you didn’t mean for him to get hurt but he did. What exactly were you trying to prove by Kili putting himself in danger?”

Fili pressed his lips together, not saying a word. He couldn’t tell Dwalin that he was the reason that he put Kili in danger. Or should he? An adult would take responsibility and accept the punishment for his actions, and he wanted Dwalin to see him as an adult.

“I thought if I saved Kili then I would be treated as an adult,” Fili said, choosing to leave out he specifically wanted Dwalin to see him as an adult. “It was a mistake and I am sorry. I know I have to make amends but Kili shouldn’t be punished for my bad judgement. He’s already hurt because of me.”

“Aye, I agree but Kili’s punishment is for Thorin to decide,” Dwalin told him and Fili immediately noticed his punishment wasn’t included. “I asked Thorin to handle your punishment myself. It is my right as your soul mate to dole out any punishment I feel fit.”

“So now I’m your soul mate?” Fili couldn’t stop the anger words before they left his mouth. The first time Dwalin acknowledged him as his soul mate and it was because he was going to punish him. “Why have you never approached me before now?”

He saw the moment Dwalin made the connection between his words and his earlier actions. The look on the older dwarf’s face darkened and his shoulders heaved as he took deep, calming breaths. Fili knew he was angry.

“One does not simply approach the heir and future king to claim him,” Dwalin replied after a moment. “You are my soul mate but you will also be the heir to the throne and a prince and I am simply a fighter.”

“A warrior,” Fili corrected.

“Thank you,” he’d made Dwalin smile and felt quite proud. “You did not read the book on soul mates my brother gave you to read, did you? Nor did your brother, I’d say. There is a section in that book about royals and their soul mates and what is required in a claiming. I was awaiting the time when I could claim you the way you deserve to be claimed and you would have known that if you’d read the book like you were supposed to, or if you had come to talk to me.”

“Oh,” was all Fili could say.

Dwalin wrapped a hand around each of his wrists and hauled him to his feet. “Aye, where do you think you’re going Lad?” he asked as Fili had started to walk back to camp, assuming his scolding was finished. “I haven’t punished you yet.” He watched as Dwalin took a seat on the fallen log then patted his legs. “Come here and lie across my lap.”

Fili knew that position and he felt his face redden as he carefully draped himself across Dwalin’s knees, bracing his hands and feet on the ground.

“You acted with the rashness of a child today,” Dwalin’s voice was firm. “So your punishment will be that of a child. If you kick or try to stop my hand in any way, I will spank you even longer. Understood?”

“Yes,” Fili nodded. He still had on his pants and he hoped those and his underpants would give him a bit of a cushion between his ass and Dwalin’s strong hand.

“You will be feeling this in the morning,” he was warned. “And I am not swayed by pleas and tears. I will continue until I decide to stop.”

“Understood,” Fili nodded again.

With the first slap of Dwalin’s open hand against his ass, Fili cried out in pain. Even though his clothing it had hurt. The next one landed on his other cheek, just as hard, and he cried out again. He had to be quiet so he bit his lip to muffle his sounds. He did not want anyone to hear his cries and think he was in trouble. He was too focused on the pain to noticed Dwalin alternating his strikes, left cheek, right cheek, top then bottom, turning his ass a nice pink under all his clothes. All Fili knew was that it hurt and he was doing his best not to cry.

Finally Dwalin pulled away and Fili sighed with relief. But too soon. Dwalin’s hands were on his waist and inching his pants down over his hips, over his sore ass, down his legs. It wasn’t over.

*****

Fili couldn’t remember feeling so exposed during a spanking with his uncle or his mother. And he still had on his underpants. He was waiting for Dwalin’s hand to land on his ass again now that his pants were gone but Dwalin seemed content to rub his burning cheeks through the thin garment instead of striking him again. His actions kept Fili aware of the pain in his backside with causing more pain.

“What you did today was foolish,” Dwalin told him. Fili knew this part well, it was the lecture part of the spanking and always the part he hated most. He could handle pain, he was trained to handle pain, but disappointment and guilt, that he hated. “I could have lost you,” he landed a hard swat on Fili’s left cheek. “You could have been hurt.” Right cheek. “Your brother could have been lost.” Left again. “Do you think,” left cheek, “you would have,” and the right, “been the same,” a hard swat on the middle of his ass, “if you lost him?” Both Dwalin’s hands came down on Fili’s cheeks at the same time, making him cry out with a sob.

That broke him and he sobbed as Dwalin continued the spanking. He’d never earned more than ten swats from his mother and the most he’d received from his uncle was thirty. Dwalin had beaten that and there seemed to be no slowing down for the older dwarf.

“You’re almost done,” Dwalin’s voice was surprisingly gentle and Fili felt a large hand rest on his back in a comforting manner. “If I had already claimed you, these,” Fili felt a light tug at his underpants, “would be off but I will leave that up to you. If you wish, they can stay on for the last part of your punishment.”

“Off,” Fili replied after a moment’s thought. He would accept his punishment the way Dwalin expected of his soul mate.

The thin material offered no real protection from Dwalin’s hand but as it was pulled down, he felt himself shiver. He had bared his ass for spankings a fair number of times but that was for family, not his soul mate. Dwalin had seen him without his clothes, after all the entire company had bathed together in waters when they could, but he had still hoped to make a better impression the first time Dwalin saw him naked alone.

He was tilted forward, his hand having to accept more of his weight, and his ass was lifted slightly more into the air. He knew what was coming and he braced himself.

Dwalin swatted the underside of his cheeks and the top of his thighs where he would be feeling the spanking every time he sat. At least they were no longer riding ponies. There was no lecture, just the echoes of Dwalin’s hand landing on his ass and Fili’s crying.

At first, Fili didn’t realize the spanking had stopped and Dwalin was rubbing his back to calm him. Strong hands gently helped him to his feet then Fili found himself wrapped in Dwalin’s arms, cradled against the older dwarf’s chest as he sobbed.

“Aye, you’re forgiven,” Dwalin murmured into his ear. Fili pulled away, staring up at him with tears still trailing down his cheeks. He tensed when Dwalin lifted his hand but the older dwarf just smiled at him before brushing the wetness away with his thumb. “We can wait before we return so you can compose yourself. And after we reclaimed our home, I will show you how a young prince should be claimed by his soul mate.”

Fili shivered again, wishing Dwalin would claim his sooner but knowing there was no chance of the older dwarf breaking his promise. He would have to wait. And question Ori about the book on royals and their soul mates that he should have read.

After a few more moments, Fili carefully redressed and fixed his hair. He had to face the rest of the company at some point and he wanted to check on his brother.

“I’m ready to return,” he said.

Dwalin smiled down at him before he surprised Fili by capturing his lips in a kiss. “Do not doubt you are a grown dwarf.”

“I must be the oldest dwarf to earn a child’s punishment,” Fili’s answering tone was light but still coloured with embarrassment.

“I will not name names,” Dwalin chuckled. “But I assure you, you are not the oldest dwarf to be spanked.”

*****

On their return, Fili saw how most of their companions avoided his eye. All except his uncle, who gave Dwalin what appeared to be a nod of approval before he drew Fili into a quick embrace. No words were needed for Fili to know his uncle forgave him. It was Fili who broke the contact, looking around the camp for his brother.

“He’s still resting,” his uncle told him. “Ori is watching him. Oin expects him to wake in an hour or so then we must move on.”

“I will carry his pack,” Fili volunteered without having to be asked. “He needs to rest his shoulder.”

Thorin grasped his shoulder once more before allowing him to go to his brother’s side. His uncle didn’t need words to say he was proud.

“I can watch him now,” Fili told Ori as he sank to the ground next to Kili’s sleeping body. He waited until Ori gathered his book and left before he slid closer to his brother so he could run his fingers through Kili’s tangled hair. No one had thought to brush it before it dried and it would be a mess when Kili awoke. It would be easier for him to work at getting the hair untangled while Kili was still asleep and couldn’t complain that the pulling was hurting him.

When his brother did wake, he would apologize though Kili was likely to laugh him off and share the blame. They always shared the blame even when only one was at fault. And then Fili would share what Dwalin had told him about the book and together they would pester Ori until they knew all the rituals for their soul mates, though for some reason Kili never seemed too concerned that Bofur had made no move to claim him. If he found out that Kili knew the claiming rituals the whole time, well Fili was sure he’d learned a few tricks from Dwalin’s spanking and he would be sure to use them.


End file.
